The Black Angel
by Element Guardian
Summary: After a battle, Colonel Karl Schubaltz is rescued by a young woman and her organoid. When he meets up with her again in a place he leased expected, he, and the others, are thrown into a mess that no one could predict. K/OC
1. A Black Angel and Her Pet Cat

love Karl Schubaltz, but I haven't written a story just for him yet. So here it is. This will be a one shot unless I get enough reviews to continue.

Disclaimer: I don't own zoids, but I will be adding characters that are mine.

Love

E.G.

A Black Angel and her Cat

Colonel Schubaltz opened his eyes from a long and deep sleep. His head ached and when he went to rub his temples to ease the head ache, he found his head had been bandaged.

Very slowly, he began to remember what had happened. He, the guardian force, Colonel Herman and Capt. O'Connell had gone after a large group of bandits with thirty or so men. During the battle, the bandit leader managed to get Schubaltz to turn his back to a canyon waterfall. A few careful hits from the bandit leader sent Schubaltz down the waterfall in his customized Saber Fang. Some how the Colonel had gotten out of his zoid and to the river bank after going down the waterfall. That was where his memory ended.

After a look around the oasis where Schubaltz was now, he came to the conclusion that someone had found him and brought him even farther away from the battlefield. They had even built a fire that was blazing with life. Schubaltz tried to push himself up but found it harder than normal.

"I'm glad to see you are up, but you shouldn't try to move just yet," a young woman who looked about Schubaltz's age. Behind her was an organoid that he had never seen before. It looked like a miniature Hel Cat that was painted black. Its claws and teeth were gold. On its armor someone had stamped a cat preparing to pounce in gold.

Schubaltz laid back down and turned to the woman. "Did you save me?"

"Yes, I found you at the river," the woman said cheerfully. She had curly brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and deep chocolate brown eyes. Her smile sent warm waves of happiness through out Schubaltz's body. She wore a black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue, ripped up jeans. "My name is Alex and this is Cat. What are you starring at?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking that I might be in heaven, but you are wearing the wrong color to be an angel. I am Col..." Schubaltz was interrupted by Alex placing a finger on his lips.

"No last names and no formalities and no one will get hurt," Alex whispered.

Schubaltz thought this over and found the logic in it. Alex was probably part of a group of mercenaries and the less she knew about him, the safer they would both be. "My name is Karl."

"Go back to sleep, Karl," Alex said. "Your friends will be here soon."

The next time Schubaltz awoke he was in a Whale King. His brother Thomas stood off to one side with the rest of the Guardian Force and Herman. "What? Where?" was all Schubaltz managed to whisper.

"We found you in an oasis about ten to twenty miles down river from the waterfall you fell from," Herman explained. "Something led us right to you. It appears that someone had taken care of you, but we didn't see anyone."

"Do you know who saved you Colonel?" Fiona asked kindly.

"Yeah," Schubaltz whispered, "a black angel and her pet cat."

No one knew what he meant.

Not far from the base Alex and Cat were returning to their group of "friends". Alex had Karl on her mind. 'Such gorgeous eyes, like a cat's.'

"Alexandria!" the leader of bandits asked the young girl.

Alex smile dropped. "Yes Daddy?"

"Where were you during the battle?" Alex's father pressed.

"I thought I saw a stray cat so I went to go look," Alex said. After hearing this, her father left. Alex loved cats and it wasn't unusual for her to bring a stray to the base. "But I found something much better instead."


	2. An Unexpected Turn of Events

Author notes: Hello my happy peoples. So many people had said that they wanted to see the story continue that I decided to be nice for a change.

Little E.G.: Believe me, it's not normal.

E.G.: This is my little brother, Little Elephant Guardian. And he will be helping with my reviews along with my other little brother the Dragon Guardian. But he's not here so I only have one pest to deal with right now.

Little E.G.: I'm not a pest!

E.G.: What ever.

Disclaimer: I don't own zoids but this story is mine and so are Alex, Cat, and the Desesrt Panther Bandits

**The Black Angel**

**Chapter 2**

**An Unexpected Turn of Events**

Karl lay in a hospital bed, the one he had been in since the battle against the unknown, but powerful group of bandits. For some reason the lights were brighter than they normally were, and they hurt his eyes. He had begun to want to lay in the dark by a roaring fire. It seemed impossible to get comfortable on the overly stuffed bed. Karl remembered how Alex had tried to make him comfortable on the ground, it was perfect.

Alex, that name refused to leave his head no mater how many times Karl tried to erase it from his mind.

She was boyish and wore ripped up clothing. But that was her style which made her unique and worth remembering.

She was in an area far from any towns or cities, yet there she was there to save him. She had to be mercenary; maybe probably with the group that he had had to deal with the day he was injured. But she had saved him.

"Hey Schubaltz. Thinking about your Black Angel?" Herman asked. When Karl had first woken up, he had described his rescuer as a Black Angel. If for some odd reason Schubaltz did manage to forget Alex, he could count on the Republican Colonel would be glad to remind Schubaltz daily about his rescuer.

Karl groaned. Herman's joke about Alex was beginning to get very old very fast. "Herman, if you are here for a reason, hurry it up, I'm not in the mood."

"Bed riddance boredom getting you down?" Herman asked with an understanding nod. "Any ways, Moonbay and Irvine were thinking over your answer about a Black Angel and they have come up with a few names to fit the description, more like half the female mercenary population. But the part about the Black Angel's pet cat narrowed it down to a bandit by the name of Alexandria Claws. Her father, Jacob Claws, is headman of the Dessert Panther Bandits. The clue that Alexandria was your black angel was the pet cat. She apparently has an organoid in the shape of a Hel Cat which she has originally named Cat. That is the reason Irvine began looking for his own organoid. Alexandria and Cat are rarely put in actual battle, they are more often used as decoys or something else, but that does not mean they are crippled in battle."

"Get to the point Herman. Why are you telling me all this?"

Herman shifted his wait from one foot to the other. "Alexandria Claws has just turned herself in to us."

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Karl limped along on his crutch till he made it to the prison ward of the base. Sure enough there was a young woman, about his own age with curly brown hair pulled back and deep chocolate brown eyes. When she saw him approach her cell, her face lit up in a smile that you would not expect a bandit to wear, especial as a prisoner of the Republic and Imperial armies.

"Hello Karl," the woman said happily. "Do you know where Cat is? I'm a bit worried about her; she doesn't take kindly to strangers."

"So this is your rescuer," Herman stated. Karl was in too much of a state of shock to really respond to either person.

Alex looked Karl up and down. "You should still be in bed by the looks of it."

"His is none of your concern Ms. Claws," Herman said in a tone of voice that most others would take as a warning, but a Karl had concluded, Alex was not someone who was like most others. "The only person you should worry about is yourself."

"I've made Karl's well fare my concern."

Karl snapped out of his trance and shook his head; that was when he realized that he was missing his hat. "Colonel Herman is right. You will stay here until we are ready to question you tomorrow morning."

Both men waked away, leaving a very hurt Alex. After awhile Alex shrugged and went to go sulk in the corner of her tiny cell. She had a small bared window that was enough to let in a small sliver of the moon light. She lifted her face so that the moon light could hit it.

"You have a lot more in common with a cat then just your eyes, Karl," Alex whispered to herself. "You hold so many secrets yet you show them to us all. Hiding something in plain view is the best way to keep it hidden. You also like the darker side of life. You are so much like a cat, so much like me."

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"Where is Alexandria," Jacob Claws yelled as he stormed through his base looking for his youngest daughter.

"She had a briliant plan daddy. I told her to put the first phase into action," Dana said, stopping her father in the middle of his search. Her long brown colored hair tied back into a bun. "I know where she went, and I know what awaits her."

Jacob swore, loudly. "I had put Alexandria in charge of next attempt to assassination of Emperor Rudolph."

"She hasn't forgotten. In fact she's working on it as we speak," Dana said as she began to walk to the hangar. "It will not be long till we've taken care of our oh so dear Emperor."

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Alex played with her handcuffs as she listened to everybody around her argue. Half the reason she had left her bandit family was because of all the arguing. It had been tolerable for awhile, but then her mom was murdered and everything fell apart. The Desert Panthers did not normally associate with either the Republic or Imperial government, but a powerful blast had wiped away two of their bases, one abounded and one not, and the bandits turned their blame to the authorities.

"She's dangerous!" Herman said, hoping to end the argument.

Fiona shook her head. "If we can forgive Raven, then we can forgive Alexandria."

Examining the links, Alex began to see if she could break any of them. No such luck, just like most of her life. Being the youngest of nine children of a bandit family could be very dangerous. No body outside the mercenary business and very few people inside it knew how difficult Alex's life truly was.

"Raven and that girl are on two completely different pages," Irvine spat out.

"Shut up Irvine," Moonbay said with a careless wave of her hand. "You're just mad because Alex's older sister had made a complete fool of you and you were too big headed to listen to Alex's warning."

Karl lost his temper. "That's enough. This is a questioning, not a circus. Now Ms. Claws, why did you leave the Desert Panthers?"

"It was becoming too dangerous for me to stay there," Alex whispered. You had to hold your breath to have heard her. "The Claws family has always been the leader of the Desert Panthers. We were the original members of it. I have more brothers and sisters than I know what to do with, and all of them are older than me. If they think you are becoming too powerful, they gang up and make sure you can't get any stronger. It hurts to know they hate you. My Father has been the leader since his father passed on.

"My mother protected me, but she died when the base she was at was hit by a powerful attack. Since then the Panthers have been falling apart. They won't admit it, but we are. I'm surprised no one has challenged my dad for position as the head of the group."

"So Hiltz also hit you," Van said.

"Hiltz was behind that attack?" Alex was on her feet. Even though the handcuffs kept her from being a threat, Thomas still made sure he was ready to fire on the young woman.

Herman nodded. "Yes, was he a friend?"

Alex sunk down into her chair and began to sob. No one had expected that reaction, and they weren't really quite sure what to do. "Hiltz…that…that… Hasn't he taken enough from me? What else can I possibly give up to him?"

"We're done for today," Karl said with a sigh. "Lt. Schubaltz, there has been a room made ready for her. Escort her there then have someone bring her some food and a change of clothes."

Thomas obeyed his brother's orders, dragging Alex more than leading her to her new cell. After they got to the cell, Thomas removed the handcuffs and was about to leave the young woman alone when a thought came to mind.

"Thank you for saving my brother," Thomas said before exiting. Even through the closed door, Thomas could hear Alex's sobs.


	3. Plots

E.G.: I'm so sorry it took so long. Our computer crashed…

D.G.: She was being lazy

E.G.: The teachers have been piling homework on top of us…

Little E.G.: She was being lazy…

E.G.: And I have been trying to action off two annoying pests who wants them?

D.G. and Little E.G.: Hey!

Disclaimer: I don't own zoids, but Alex, Cat, and various Characters I create are mine

**The Black Angel**

**Chapter 3**

**Plots**

Thomas entered Alex's cell, a small bag was in his hands. Alex was staring up at the ceiling. "What are you doing?"

"Counting ceiling tiles," Alex said. "Now can I help you?"

"Yeah, here are some of your things. I'm also here to get to know you a little better," Thomas said as he sat down cross legged on the floor.

Alex stared at the blonde with a funny look on her face as she rummaged through her sack. Eventually she pulled out a comb and began to work the knots out of her hair. "You're here because of the information of the Imperial palace I had among my things."

"Well, yeah."

"Figured as much," Alex said. "Now listen very carefully Lt. Schubaltz. Dana will have taken the next step in what she thinks is the next step of the mission to assassinate Emperor Rudolph. It will be done at the ceremony for the war heroes in a few days. There will be family members of the heroes, like you and your brother, present. They will use the civilians as a way to get Emperor Rudolph to come with them."

Thomas stared at the young woman. His eyes were wide open in pure shock and his lower jaw just about hit the floor. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because as Major Ford would say, 'only answer the questions you are asked.'"

Thomas quickly hand cuffed the girl and dragged her to the discussion room where he knew Karl and Herman would be. For the most part, Alex followed calmly. Only occasionally she would pull back because Thomas was pulling too hard on her cuffed hands.

"The Dessert Panthers are going to attempt to assassinate Emperor Rudolph!" Thomas said, almost out of breath. Alex calmly pulled her hands away and smoothed back her hair.

"How and when," Herman demanded.

Alex raised her chained hands. "I know all of that."

"We have about a third of the gang involved," Alex explained as she sat in front of a lay out of the palace. "Most of them will be down here to keep the soldiers busy. Some will be holding Madame President hostage so that the Republican army is unable to do anything. There will only be four who go after Emperor Rudolph: Eric, Mathew, Katie, and my oldest brother Chaz."

"Genius," Karl whispered.

"Thank you."

"Wait, you planed this Alex?" Karl asked.

"Yeah, that was part of my job. I gathered information. I devised plans. I rarely saw combat because I have a bleeding heart. Now Eric and Mathew are nothing without a gun, their more like snipers and are not very good at hand to hand combat. Katie is not a very good fighter, but she fights dirty so we are going to have to be careful with her. Chaz is going to be the most difficult, I have yet to beat him in a fist match and he will have more than a couple guns on hand."

Herman's face fell. "So we are dealing with a group of dangerous people in the presence of innocents."

"Please don't sound so depressing, Herman," Alex laughed. "It's a good plan, but there are to many what ifs. I never told anyone how many soldiers would be on duty, so if there are more than expected, they won't panic right away. Not to mention it has not been made public exactly how many soldiers there will be. Also, Herman, to protect Madame President, you need to stand right by her and be ready to fight. Because you are her son, no one will question your presence there. To protect Emperor Rudolph, I will hide among the family members and be ready to fight my old friends."

"How about I am the one to fight your brother and the rest of the group," Karl suggested.

Alex shook her head. "This ceremony is partly dedicated to you. If you're not in it, it will be noticed."

It took a while, but Alex's plan was accepted. Only difference was that some strange major would also be hidden among the family and friends of the ones being honored.

"You never fail to amaze me," Moonbay said. She was sitting outside the bathroom as Alex cleaned up.

Alex shrugged. "It's a gift I have."

"No, I don't mean about the plots and other things you can come up with," Moonbay said. "I'm amazed at how you can keep going after all that has happened to you. I mean you were really close to…"

"I don't want to talk about it," Alex interrupted. She walked out of the bathroom in a pair of formal pants and a shirt with sleeves much too big for Alex. It would do nicely to hide the handcuffs Alex would have to wear.

"You look nice," Moonbay commented as Alex proceeded to dry her wet hair. The normally curly brown locks would be straight with a slight wave to it when Alex finished with it.

"Thanks."

It was all too soon when Alex found herself sitting in an uncomfortable chair next to an older couple. The man had eyes that remind her of a cat's. The man glanced at Alex and snorted. The woman gently scolded him and turned to Alex. "I'm sorry dear, sitting and waiting is not his style."

"Don't worry, it's okay."

"My name is Amanda Schubaltz and this is my husband former General Caleb Schubaltz," the woman said kindly.

"I'm Alexandria," Alex said, wishing she could shake their hands, but the handcuffs had to remain hidden.

The ceremony started and Alex was spared any further conversation with the older couple. She paid more attention to the clock more than anything else. Right when it chimed three o'clock, the windows broke as the four bandits entered the room from different sides. "As I thought, Dana is all to predictable," Alex whispered to herself.

"Okay your Highness," Eric said pulling Alex, recognizing her for his leader's youngest daughter, to her feet and holding a gun to her head. "Come with us and this pretty little thing won't take a bullet to her head."

Emperor Rudolph looked to Alex, not realizing who it was, and began to allow himself be pushed towards the window by Mathew.

The plan was going perfectly.

Then a shot rang out and Alex fell to one knee, holding her middle. Chaz held the gun.

"We don't trust you anymore," Chaz said looking away. "I'll tell Dad you died fighting for our cause."

Amanda Schubaltz gasped and ran to Alex. Eric moved to intercept the older woman. Quickly pulling herself together, Alex knocked Eric's legs from underneath him and grabbed his gun. Mathew moved, leaving Emperor Rudolph with Katie, to assist Eric, but got shot by Alex.

"Well look at this Chaz," Katie said with a smirk. "The kitten has claws."

Katie charged Alex, keeping the spectators behind her so that Alex would not be able to shoot. Alex dodged a punch and realized she had also barley missed a wrist knife. Continuing to duck and throw no punches, Alex tried to find a way to use the handcuffs that were supposed to hinder her. Rushing the younger woman, Katie planned to send her blade home into Alex's heart. Instead Alex used the chain that linked her wrists together to pull the knife a way while bringing her knee to Katie's gut. Then hitting her at a key point at her neck, Alex sent Katie into the swirling blackness that was unconsciousness.

The hidden major took this as his cue to help his TRUE side. The major turned out to be one of the men hidden into the Imperial army by the Desert Panthers he made a break for the Emperor, but an older man grabbed him around the neck and threw him into a nearby wall.

General Schubaltz looked straight into Alex's eyes and seemed to understand the entire plan forming in her head.

"Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?" the General asked the injured woman.

Alex smiled despite her pain. "Not me, that's for sure."

Alex's peace was cut short when a bullet grazed her shoulder and shattered the window behind her. Chaz stood across the room from his sister holding the smoking gun. Another was pointed at Emperor Rudolph's head. "Nobody move and neither of them will be killed."

"That's low Chaz. That's something I would expect from Mathew, Eric, Katie, and people our father would hide in army, not from you."

"Shut up Alexandria!"

"You are better than this, and deserve better than this," Alex said as she tried to get through to her brother.

Chaz tightly closed his eyes and he seemed to be lowering both of his guns. Then his reality came back to him in a destructive wave.

The gun pointed at Alex fired and she was hit in the torso region again. Instead of falling to her knees, Alex charged, with much thanks to a burst of adrenaline, and took the bullet that Chaz fired at the teenager. It lodged itself into her right arm. Before Chaz could prepare to fire another bullet, he collapsed from a bullet from a gun in General Schubaltz's hand. He had taken the opportunity to get the gun that Alex stole from Eric. Alex had to drop the gun while fighting Katie.

Alex fell to her knees and someone caught her before she could land on her face.

"Make her comfortable!" someone cried. Alex was having trouble telling from which direction it was coming from.

An angry male voice began to yell from a radio. "Major Wolf! Report! What is going on?"

An even angrier sounding male voice responded. "A young female needs medical attention now! She won't be conscious for much longer."

Alex felt herself be laid down and something soft placed under her head. The room was spinning much to fast for her liking.

"Hold on a little longer dear," a female voice comforted. Alex thought it was her mother. "The medical crews will be here soon."

Slowly Alex slipped away into a dark place where she couldn't feel any pain, but that dark place was still cold. A warm bright light and welcoming people stood at the end of a long tunnel. Alex made her way towards them.


	4. Pulling Back

Hello, no brothers today. So I doing this chappie solo. (Does a happy little dance.)

Now last time Alex had been shot three times and she…

Sorry you've got to read for yourself. Did you really expect me to tell you if Alex died or survived?

Disclaimer: I don't own zoids. But there are many characters that I have added that are mine. This is also my own original story.

Read, enjoy, and review. If you don't review, I won't continue.

**The Black Angel**

**Chapter 4**

**Pulling Back**

Alex made it to the figures and the light. She did not wear the formal outfit, but her own ripped up clothing. There were no signs that she had been shot three times and grazed once and certainly no signs of any handcuffs. All Alex could think about was how grateful she was to be going to haven comfortably. Waiting at the gates was a young man. He had dark black spiked hair.

"Well look where you landed yourself Alex," the man said.

Alex smiled. "Long time no see Junk."

"Alexandria, what are you doing here?"

Alex was a bit shock. "I'm dead I guess."

Junk shook his head. Alex was happy to see that his eyes were natural. When he was still alive sometimes they would be bright red from when her father would…

Shaking the memory off quickly, Alex turned back to her friend. "So I'm not dead?"

"That's right. Something is holding you back. You can't die if something is holding you back. Besides, this is like a little review of your life," Junk said.

"I don't want to think about my past any more."

Junk laughed, throwing his head back. "The fool who does not know his past cannot possibly know his future."

"I don't need to know about my past," Alex snapped. "And nothing is holding me back."

Junk raised an eyebrow. "Tell that to them."

Karl, Colonel Herman, the Guardian Force, and the Schubaltz couple all stood behind her. They weren't giving her up without a fight. "It's okay guys; I'll see you all later."

Alex tried to enter through the gates, but this time was stopped by her old friend.

"I have one lesson to teach you," Junk said.

"And then I can die?"

"Then I send you to your sister."

Junk walked away from the gates of eternal paradise and head toward a black hole. Alex groaned but followed the man. The black hole was showing a past nightmare. Junk was being held down by a couple other young men and was being beaten by several more.

"Do you remember what I said to you that day?"

Alex nodded. "They had to prove they were better than you, thus proving you were free."

"Do you understand now?" Junk asked. Alex shook her head. "Those who bark loudest tend to be the weakest. Your entire family knows you are strong and they are doing everything they can to keep you down."

"Is that why Chaz shot me?"

Junk shrugged. "I don't think so. Chaz has a very twisted mind, but a good heart. Not the easiest combination to deal with. But unusual love is not my topic. Do you get it?"

"I think so," Alex whispered. "When someone tries to show how much power they have over you, it only proves how free you truly are. But Junk, even freedom has a price."

"And you paid that ten fold years ago. I got to go now. You take care and I don't want to see you here for years. Got it?" Junk said as he hugged Alex one last time. She nodded. And with that, Junk walked away.

"I never knew how close you two were," a female voice said. She looked to be an older and neater version of Alex.

"Shut up Susan."

"I have a lesson to teach, and you need to hear it," Susan said. She looked back at the black hole. It morphed until an image of Susan embracing the man she had loved, Hiltz. He then stabbed her in the back.

"That bas…" Alex started before a look from Susan shot her down.

"Spare me," Susan said sharply. "I knew when I fell in love with him I would be putting myself through hell. But like Chaz, he thought it would be better to see me at eternal peace than suffering with him."

"You knew Hiltz was insane," Alex accused.

"Most of our family is. But do you understand the lesson?"

Alex snorted. "Not to date criminals."

"Alexandria."

"And that love has a very weird way of showing itself," Alex finished.

"You've grown since I passed away," Susan said with a knowing smile. She hugged her sister for a long time before someone appeared. He was a tall blonde with green eyes and wore an Imperial Colonel uniform. "One more moment please. Alex, I won't be seeing you for a long while, but I'm watching, we all are."

Behind Susan, many more people appeared. They were the people who Alex had been friends with before they passed on. She saw her mother among them.

"I can't go back," Alex whispered. "My life is over."

"Alexandria, sweetie, find happiness. You can't do that if you are dead and buried." Alex's mother ordered.

The young woman known as the Black Angel stood for a second more at the gates of haven before turning back to the place where she came from. Cheers from her deceased friends and family gave her that extra boost of confidence. Along the way Alex fell, and doubt began to seep into her mind. "Why should I go back? There is so much that I did, and too much that I should have done."

"Don't give up on yourself now," Karl said, his hand outstretched to help Alex to her feet. His wasn't the only hand out there to help. All of her new friends and many old were there to. Alex reached out to them and was immediately pulled to her feet. She felt an extra push from behind, but she didn't look back as she consciously opened her eyes.

"Welcome back to the living," General Kruger said merrily.

"Go away," Alex snapped.

"We need to discuss some things…" the General started.

"And I want to change into my uniform, Jonathon."

Kruger smiled and left, only to return when Alex had put on the uniform of a Republican major. "Do you really want to be up and moving so soon?"

"I have things to take care of," Alex snapped. Cat, who sat by the door patiently, got up and followed Alex and Kruger to the prison ward.

Chaz had been separated from the rest of the prisoners and the way he sat showed a defeated man. Alex whistled. Chaz's head shot up and stared at the major that was his sister.

"What's going through your head at this moment?" Alex asked her older brother.

"I'm surprised that you are a soldier, but then again I'm not," Chaz said. "You always seemed to be living a double life since Junk's death."

"The zoid accident Junk was in…?"

"It wasn't an accident," Chaz sighed. "It was our father's handiwork."

"We need to get going Major," Kruger said.

"One minute Jonathon," Alex said slowly. "You truly do deserve better Chaz."

Chaz shook his head. "You deserve better. I deserve this. I remember when I first met you, Alex. You were five and I was fifteen. It was the first time I had returned to the base we considered home in about six years. You were so excited to meet me and didn't seem to mind I was covered in blood from the soldiers I had killed minutes earlier. I made a promise that day that you would never become what I had become."

Alex reached in between the bars and Chaz grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Kruger looked away politely.

"I still say you deserve better," Alex whispered.

"Thank you Alex," Chaz replied.

Kruger tapped Alex's shoulder. She squeezed her brother's hand one more time and followed her superior officer. Cat looked at Chaz one more time before following Alex out of the area.


	5. True Colors

The Black Angel

Yeah…sorry about deciding to change it. And sorry it took so long to update.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just an overactive imagination.

**The Black Angel**

**Chapter 5**

**True Colors**

Caleb and Amanda Schubaltz walked into the medical unit. General Schubaltz grudgingly carried a fruit basket, a get well card, and a large amount of balloons that continuously drifted in front of his face. Amanda carried a bouquet of flowers and a stuffed animal cat.

"I do hope she likes the gifts," Amanda said as she fretted over a tilted lily. "When Karl said that he had gotten word she was up, I knew she would need some cheering up."

"That's fine and all Amanda, but this is going over board," General Schubaltz snorted.

"Poor thing, being used like that by all those people, theses are probably her only 'get well' presents."

The couple made their way to the reception desk the receptionist looked up when they approached. "Can I help you?"

"We're here to see Alexandria," Amanda said happily. "I'm sorry but I'm unsure of a last name."

"We have three Alexandria's," receptionist replied.

General Schubaltz slapped a balloon out of his face. "She has about four bullet wounds and was brought here from the ceremony."

"Oh…that would be Major Kruger," the receptionist replied as she looked through some paper work. "She was released last night."

"What?" Amanda screeched.

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Major Ford caught Major Kruger around the waist as she tried to speed past him. "Hold on Alex, you shouldn't be running like that."

"Let me go Matt, I'm late."

"Fix your uniform," Major Ford snarled. "We don't need you rushing in looking like a slob."

Alex stopped struggling and Ford placed her carefully on the ground. He helped correctly button the uniform and laughed as she tried to smooth down her hair.

"Calm yourself, I was only teasing," Major Ford replied.

"You and every other man in this base," Major Kruger groaned. "I hate hospital time."

"We all do Alex, just don't put your self back in there because you rush," Major Ford said as the two Republicans began to head to the conference room Major Kruger was supposed to be at ten minutes ago.

Major Kruger walked silently for the most part, and Major Ford knew her well enough that he shouldn't bother her. She was thinking, and the door to her meeting was looming closer.

"How do I look?" she finally asked.

Major Ford snatched a pack of cigarettes that were making a clear bugle in her pocket. "Like a major. And if you want these back, meet me on the roof at nine tonight."

"A date?"

"Only if I get kiss," Major Ford said as he slipped the cigarettes into his own pocket and headed back the way he came.

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"If the person who we are waiting on isn't here in another five minutes…"

"It doesn't work that way Thomas," Rob groaned. The Imperial Lt. was wearing down everyone's patience, more so than the missing member.

Karl sighed. "I'm beginning to agree with my brother."

"She'll be here soon," General Kruger promised.

The Guardian Force stared at the door as if by his words alone, General Kruger had called the missing member. But it was another few minutes before it finally opened.

"Alex?" came the unanimous response as the major slipped in.

"General Kruger, Colonel Schubaltz, Colonel Herman, Captain O'Connell, Guardian Force…" Alex said as she saluted the men and women in the room.

"Major Kruger," the General said with a smile, "why is the hospital staff complaining that you checked yourself out of the hospital."

"Do you really want to do this now John?" Alex said as her shoulders droop. Rob began to laugh.

General Kruger smiled.

Alex sighed. "I checked myself out early. I don't like hospital time. You were there when I left to visit Chaz."

"She's visiting the prisoner?" Thomas said with his eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry," Rob said as he waved Alex over to the empty chair in between himself and O'Connell, "she's with us."

"I would have never guessed," Karl grumbled.

"We had to act like we didn't know her, otherwise you might get suspicious," Rob pointed out.

"Alexandria, why did you check yourself out of the hospital with out discussing it with me first?" Kruger pressed Alex.

"Because I'm a grown woman and no longer need to," Alex responded.

"This is going to take a while," O'Connell said with a groan.

"Yeah…but it makes life amusing," Rob pointed out.

"I know you don't mind having this conversation in front of Rob or Jake, they've both heard it before," Alex said with a smile. "But do you really want to do this in front of them?"

General Kruger eyed the Schubaltz brothers and the Guardian Force, and sighed. She knew him much to well.

"Fine, on to business," Kruger groaned. "Major Kruger, your usefulness as a spy has expired."

The jaws of the Guardian Force and Captain O'Connell dropped. Alex gently tapped Jake's up to try and help him save face.

Karl nodded his head in agreement. "My Father mentioned that Chaz said that they knew you were a turn coat."

"And I speak for many people when I say we need her alive," Rob agreed. "It's just not the Panther Gang that Alex has her claws in."

Kruger sighed at the lame joke and Irvine grunted in response.

"So that means plan B," Alex said with a smile.

Kruger nodded and Rob rubbed the back of his head.

Thomas blinked. "Uh what's plan B."

"Only one of my most brilliant creations," Alex said with a smile.

"Basically Alexandria is going to just hang around some of our more wanted bandits and keep us updated on their doings and whereabouts. She'll report back to us by transmission daily and report to what ever base Colonel Herman is at least once a month," General Kruger chuckled.

"What makes that brilliant?" Irvine scoffed.

"Because that makes me free," Alex said as she started up a little victory dance.

Irvine's face dropped. "That is brilliant."

"Still don't get it," Thomas whispered to his brother.

Karl jabbed him in the rips and turned to Kruger. "How is this going to work, with Alex moving between sides so much?"

"That's were fate comes into play," Kruger said, looking down slightly. "Years ago my brother, sister-in-law, and niece are killed when a group of bandits destroyed my home village. Around that same time I pull a teenage girl out of a zoid wreck. The teenager I saved and my niece had a lot in common. They looked the same. They were around the same age. And most importantly, their names were very similar."

"So in other words, Alexandria Claws can become Alexandra Kruger," Alex said with a smile.

"But how can you take someone's identity?" Fiona asked.

"My mother," Rob replied. "The idea at first was to protect Alex. When we found her hard to tame, she began to use the duo identities to help us catch the most wanted."

"Why would Alex need protection? She's the daughter of the leader of the Panther Gang!" Moonbay shot back.

"That's who we were protecting her from," Kruger replied.

"That zoid wreck that Jonathon pulled me from," Alex said, before pausing for a breath, "that zoid wreck was no accident. It was meant to kill me."

Silence hung over the room. It felt heavy to everyone. Even Moonbay and Irvine had never realized how dangerous life had become for Alex. Then again most outside the Panther Gang could truly comprehend what Alex had been through.

"Now this is how this plan B is going to work," Herman said breaking the silence quickly. But for who he had broken it for was really unclear.

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"Karl! Thomas!" Amanda Schubaltz screeched. "Where is Alexandria?"

Karl paled at the sight of his mother leading his father, who was loaded down with get well presents.

"What are you doing?" the younger Schubaltz demanded.

"They're presents for Alexandria, but she has already checked herself out of the hospital. Do you know where she is?" their mother begged.

In all honesty, neither brother knew where Alex had disappeared to. When Kruger had released them: Herman, O'Connell, and Alex had headed off in a direction to an unknown destination. Van, Fiona, Irvine, and Moonbay had also left together and their whereabouts were a mystery.

Kruger, who had just left the conference room himself smiled as he caught the tail end of the conversation. "That is very kind of you Mrs. Schubaltz. Alex is my niece and I'm sure she would love to thank you personally, unfortunately she's unreachable at the moment."

"What do you mean?" Amanda sniffed.

"Where she got it from, I don't know, but Alex enjoys smoking. She is on the roof right now, with some of the others," Kruger responded.

General Schubaltz nodded. "Amanda, the roof would be considered the soldiers' territory. We'll catch her later."

"But…but…" Amanda sniffled.

"I'll show you to her room so you can at least set your gifts down," Kruger said. "She'll track you down once she finds your gifts."

And with that, General Kruger led the family to a quiet part of the base. Alex's room was bare, which didn't surprise Karl much. His mother quickly dashed into the dark room and sat the gifts on Alex's bed.

Despite how dark it was, Karl thought he caught a flash of gold. He turned to General Kruger.

The older man had seen it too and sighed. "Alex is with Major Ford right now. Major Ford and Cat don't get along, so they avoid each other."

Karl scowled. That didn't seem right at all.

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On the roof, Alex and Matt Ford sat side by side, smoking the cigarettes Matt had taken from her earlier. There were others too, but most go the idea that couple should be left alone.

Karl came up to the roof, already changed out of his uniform. The men, also free for the time being, waved a hello. However, they were not who he was looking for.

When Karl finally saw Alex, she was laughing, at what he wasn't sure. Then suddenly Matt Ford pulled her into a kiss. She immediately relaxed into the kiss and the couple seemed to melt together.

Karl then understood why they were alone.


	6. Plan B

Okay, don't have much to say. But THANK YOU for all the people that reviewed. I lover you all for it.

Love Always, Elemnt Guardian

Dislaimer: If you haven't figured this out. I DON"T OWN zoids.

**Black Angel**

**Chapter 6**

**Plan B**

Karl entered the cafeteria and immediately found Alex sitting with Herman and O'Connell. The three were in their uniforms; however, they still looked lazy as they sat there chatting and eating.

"So he kissed me…oh Colonel Schubaltz," Alex said. From the sounds of it she was telling them about last night.

Herman, who up close looked lazy and bored, turned his attention to Schubaltz. "Please tell me you've come to put us out of our misery."

"No, just wanted to ask Alex where her Cat was," Schubaltz laughed.

"Everyone knows that Alexandria Claws has a cat shaped organoid," Alex sighed. "It would look suspicious if Major Alexandra Kruger started toting around an identical looking organoid, specially an organoid with the Panther Bandit's symbol."

"Very true," Karl agreed.

Alex nodded and turned back to her fellow Republicans. "So then he…"

"If you start talking about Ford again, I'll murder him," Herman promised. O'Connell nodded in agreement.

"You're bluffing," Alex spat out.

Herman shrugged. "I'm your unofficial big brother. And as your unofficial big brother, I don't want to hear that you were kissing anybody because kissing leads to more."

O'Connell nodded in agreement.

"Like either of you are very knowledgeable in that area," Alex pointed out.

The two men seemed to almost droop in sadness at the statement.

"That was cruel," Karl said as Herman and O'Connell left the table.

"It's a soldier's fact of life," Alex pointed out. "They see plenty of action on the battle field but almost no women."

"But they see you," Karl replied.

"Our relationship is pretty much defined and brotherly/sisterly. It always has been. Besides, I'm seeing Major Ford right now," Alex said.

Karl groaned, he should have known that would come up. "So how does he feel about plan B."

"He doesn't know," Alex said as she gathered her garbage. "And it's going to stay that way."

With that, Alex left Karl alone in the cafeteria. He didn't see her the rest of the day, and from what General Kruger mentioned, she had already left to act out plan B. However, when he talked to his mother and father, they said that Alex had indeed found to thank them for the presents.

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Six young men and women sat together in a conference. There were supposed to be nine.

"Can't believe that Chaz failed" the second oldest son said. His name was Greg. With the oldest in jail and the second oldest dead, he was now in charge of the siblings.

"How is that surprising?" Dana asked.

Her twin, Bella, looked up from her magazine. "Chaz was really strong and Alex not so much. The fact that Alex whipped Chaz, that's surprising."

"But if the rumors are true, Alex is getting help from both the Imperial and Republican armies," Evelyn pointed out.

"It's not like the military has anything we don't have," Ryan pointed out.

"Let's just take her out and be done with it," Ryan's twin, Kyle, added.

"That's not how it's going to happen," Dana replied. "The little ones should keep their mouths shut."

Kyle and Ryan growled. Upon Alex's disappearance, they had become the babies of the family once more.

"Now listen up, Dana and I put our heads together," Greg began.

After the meeting, Evelyn caught Kyle and Ryan by the arms and them away from the others. "Greg and Dana have half a brain between the two of them. Do boys want in on my plan?"

"First what is it?" Kyle asked

"And what's in it for us?" Ryan continued.

Evelyn smiled. "I knew you two were smart."

Dana, who had heard it all, smiled. She walked to her room quietly humming to herself. In her room, tacked up onto the wall, was a family portrait. Susan's face had an X drawn over it. The face of Dana's mother and uncle also had giant Xs over their faces. Dana picked up a marker and drew a large X over Chaz's face and one over Alex's.

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Alex walked into a bar with Cat by her side.

Plan B was go. Now all she had to do was find her usual informants and the necessary bargaining tools.

Next Time: The Blood Lioness sat in her corner, a red hooded cape cloaking most of her body. Only Alex and Cat were bold enough to approach the woman.


	7. The Blood Lioness

Black Angel

Sorry this took so long, and I'll try to be quicker with the next.

Love Always, E.G.

Black Angel

Chapter 7

The Blood Lioness

The bars along the Red River were filled to the brim with every kind of low life trying to make a quick buck. There were mercenaries, bandits, gang members, and during the war there would even be the occasional soldier. All were looking to increase their share.

So very few of them had issues about spilling dirty little secrets every once in a while.

Alex scanned the area, trying to figure out who was at this particular bar.

At the bar sat three people. Lindsey sat closest to the door, but Alex knew that the red head sank deeper and deeper into her habits every year. At this point Lindsey was just about useless. Next to Lindsey was a male member of the Hawk Eyed bandits, a rival bandit group to the Panthers. He would glad give over any information that would help destroy the Panthers. Finally next to the Hawk bandit was a no name mercenary that looked new and way to young.

It was only after Alex's eyes passed over the newbie did she realize someone was missing. He should have been at the very end of the bar. People called him The Great.

There were others around, sitting away from the bar. Some Alex knew and others that Alex didn't, but when her eyes finally found one mercenary in particular, Alex smiled.

In the back corner sat a young woman with a heavy red cloak hanging from her shoulders. The cloak had a hood that was always pulled over so that the woman's face was covered, but on occasion a strand of blonde hair would escape the shadows.

Her name was the Blood Lioness and only Alex and Cat were brave enough to approach her.

"Well look who faced Chaz and lived to tell the tale," the Lioness commented as Alex sat down on the opposite side of the table.

"Is that the rumor that's going around?" Alex asked with a smile. "I like it."

"No the rumor going around is that the armies took Chaz and you're taking the credit," the Blood Lioness hissed. "I don't have that much faith in the armies, nor do I believe that you're ego is that big."

Alex smiled.

"Well hello precious," the Lioness said as she bent down to pet Cat.

Cat took a snap at the Lioness's hand.

The Lioness growled. "You're a ray of sunshine like always."

"What happened to The Great?" Alex asked.

"Your brother Greg decided he wanted the nick name," the Lioness responded. "I'm sure some sort of law enforcement will find The Former Great lying in a ditch some where."

"What is he thinking?" Alex whispered.

"The Great isn't the only one. You know how Lindsey is a good fighter when she is sober? Well Dana is making sure that Lindsey can never be sober again. Anyone who is a threat to the new Claw regime is going to be ticked off. I'm going to be making myself scarce very soon," the Lioness said.

"Great, you and all my other informants," Alex groaned.

"You'll be hearing from me," the Lioness promised. "Very few mercenaries can take on the Panthers and we're to distrusting to ban together. But if the second rumor is true, we'll gladly give the information over."

"Name your price?" Alex said.

The Lioness smiled. "No prison time. And no questions on how I got the information. I'm sure there will be others who will want other things."

"Fair enough," Alex said as the bartender brought her a drink.

"Your usual," the tender said as he set the drink on the table. "You know Alex, you shouldn't be showing your face so openly. The Panthers are on orders to shoot you if they ever see you."

"There are no Panthers here," Alex said as she scanned the room.

The bartender's eyes flicked between the drink and Alex. "Yes, but there are plenty of wannabe Panthers who will do anything to be an actual Panther. Also, your siblings might use other people to get to you."

The tender left, clutching at her own hands. Alex and the Lioness watched him leave.

"Now if that doesn't scream out, your family is forcing me to poison you, I don't know what does," the Lioness laughed.

"Bet you it's Dana," Alex said as she stared at the drink, but refused to touch it.

"See why I'm willing to help for such a low price?" the Lioness said with a smirk. "But the tender gave you the last bit of information that I had for you."

"There's nothing else?" Alex begged.

The Lioness sighed. "Just rumors, but keep going down the river. There are others waiting for you and waiting to go into hiding once they find you. Our world isn't safe right now."

"You're hiding something," Alex accused.

"It's just a rumor," the Lioness whispered. "But they're saying that there is a rift between the remaining Claws. No one is sure who is on what side, but it's a weak point."

With that the Lioness slid Alex a communicator, got up and left. No good-bye. No good lucks. Just the way that the Lioness would get in contact with Alex. And it went with out saying, but Alex should not send out messages with the communicator, just receive.

That night, Alex contacted the base.

"I was getting worried," Rob said from the other line.

Alex sniggered. "I can take of myself. But you might get some peace, at least from the free lancers. Everyone is going underground."

"What?" Rob asked. "Why?"

"The Panthers are ticking people off," Alex said. "They've already taken out The Great and are guaranteeing that Lindsey is kept down."

"This doesn't sound good," Rob sighed.

"It's not bad yet. I'll be fine," Alex promised.

She heard Rob sigh from over the radio. "Alright, just be careful."

"I will be. Over and out," Alex said before switching off the radio.

For a minute Alex wondered if she should've told Rob about the poisoning attempt or the bartender's warning. She shook her head and began to fiddle with the knobs of the radio.

"Schubaltz, this is your Black Angel and her pet Cat. I'm going to keep in contact with you daily. I've been informed that the Panthers have a price for my head. If I don't contact, if I miss even one day, come looking for me. Please. Don't tell Rob, Jake, or Jonathon. They'll simply pull the mission and we'll get nothing. Over and out," Alex said into the radio.

It wasn't hard to get in to someone's zoid system and leave a message. Now at least Karl knew.


	8. Chapter 8

Black Angel

Chapter 8

Darren

"Schubaltz, this is your Black Angel and her pet Cat. I'm going to keep in contact with you daily. I've been informed that the Panthers have a price for my head. If I don't contact, if I miss even one day, come looking for me. Please. Don't tell Rob, Jake, or Jonathon. They'll simply pull the mission and we'll get nothing. Over and out," Alex said into the radio. There was some static and then it died.

Suddenly, and franticly, gloved fingers began to turn all sorts of different knobs with in the DiBison as a serious of beeps and whistles went off.

"I know that Beak, but maybe I can still find her," Thomas retorted to the AI system.

So Thomas continued to fiddle in the zoid for hours until there was finally an interruption.

"Hey Thomas," came Van's voice from the ground. Thomas jumped and hit his head on the ceiling. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Thomas yelled back down as he rubbed his head.

Van sighed. "What are you doing wasting time? General Kruger has a job for us that could really help Alex."

Thomas sighed and jumped down from the cockpit. He wondered if he should tell Van about Alex's message. Then again, Van might go and tell Kruger before Thomas warned him not to.

And for the hundredth time, Thomas wondered why Alex had contacted him of all people.

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Alex walked into the next bar was immediately grabbed and rushed back outside.

"Are you nuts girl? Showing your face so openly?" a male voice asked as it hustled her back to her zoid. Cat, noticing something wrong, began to approach from her place by Alex's hell cat.

"Let go of me!" Alex growled. Hearing the growl, Cat began to pick up pace.

"Calm yourself," the male voice said as he dragged the struggling girl behind the zoid, Then almost expertly pushed Cat away from him. "I'm a friend."

Alex could finally see the face of the man who grabbed her. "Darren? I though you left the continent."

Cat, also recognizing the face of a friend slowly slinked back to the zoid. However, the organoid kept her eyes on Darren.

"Heard what was going on and decided I needed to come back," Darren said as he rubbed Alex's back.

"You just can't come back when you think you can be the knight in shining armor again…" Alex growled before being cut off. Darren had leaned down and kissed her. He pulled a way. "…as…if nothing…ever…happened."

"Don't expect to," Darren said with a sleek smile.

Then he took a long cloak out of his bag and threw it around Alex's shoulders. He tied it loosely around her neck and brought the hood up so that most of her face was covered.

"People are coming to see what they can earn from this little dispute between the Panthers and the armies. You'll blend in with them if you wear foreign clothing."

"I look like the Lioness," Alex growled.

"No, no," Darren insisted. "She wears red, I made sure to get you black. Now why can't things go back to the way they were?"

"I'm seeing someone," Alex responded.

Darren but his hands in his pockets and pretended to groan. "So I can't get what I want from you?"

"And I'm not Bella," Alex snapped.

"Alright, alright," Darren responded. "Listen, the Hawks are on their way to see if they can take over if the Panthers get ticked off."

"Not good," Alex sighed.

"I don't think the Panthers should be ticked off, if you know what I mean. The Panthers don't care to do much with the armies. The Hawks will have no problem stepping on all sorts of toes. Maybe make more attempts to tick off a young man who just so happens sit on a nice big chair," Darren replied.

"You got to be kidding me," Alex groaned. "Where did you hear that?"

"My family likes to talk, it's a Hawk's most noticeable trait," Darren pointed out.

"So you're here to undermine your bandit family and you think you can do that by undermining my bandit family, but only to an extent. No wonder our fathers wanted to marry us to each other," Alex laughed.

Darren shrugged. "To bad you're seeing someone."

"Now if you don't mind," Alex said as she moved way, "I have people to find and family to avoid."

Darren laughed as he kissed Alex on the forehead. After that he made sure the hood was up and then left as quietly as he had came. Once Cat saw that he was gone, she turned to Alex, the organoid got up to come to stand by Alex. She shook her head, pointed to her zoid, and pointed it in another direction.

Cat shook her head and merged with the hell cat. She was not as extravagant as Zeak. Instead of streaking up several feet into the air, Cat simply jumped into the bottom of the zoid and it moved away from Alex. She wasn't too concerned about finding the two cats later, it would only take a whistle.

Alex walked into the bar she had originally tried to enter before her run in with Darren. She stayed hidden beneath her black cloak, her hand resting on a gun. The bar was not much different from the one she saw the Lioness in.

She noticed an older man who sat with a few younger men and she felt herself smile warmly. These men were a little rough around the edges, but they were good men. She walked up to them and held her hand out to the oldest of the group, and she made sure that she put her hand in the coded manner. The leader took her hand and smiled.

"Glad to see that they haven't gotten you yet Alex," the leader said as he wrapped an arm around her in a warm hug.

Alex smiled as she pulled away. "Give me more credit Uncle. I took on Chaz and lived to tell the tale."

The group of men around her laughed.

"True enough," Alex's uncle said. "Now what information do you have for us?"

"The Hawk's are moving in to claim what the Panther's lose," Alex said calmly as she pushed away the beer that the bar tender brought her. She caught the eye of one of the other men and resisted the urge to flick him off.

Her Uncle smirked at the silent exchange. "Now who told you this?"

"Darren," was the curt reply. The men hooted and hollered, good naturally patting her on the back. "Do you have any information for me?"

"Nope," her Uncle replied.

"Shouldn't have expected much from low life bandits," Alex growled as she left the bar. Once out, she whistled and watched as her zoid approached her.

"It wasn't poisoned," the man from earlier said.

"May be not by you Kyle, but by someone else from your group," Alex said to the youngest of her older brothers.

"Yeah, I heard about the attempt when you were with the Lioness, Evelyn was pissed that it didn't work," Kyle replied. "By the way you look like her, the Lioness, not Evelyn."

Alex growled as she wrestled out of her cloak. "I knew it! I told him!"

"Keep it on, at least you're somewhat safer," Kyle said. "And don't worry about them. Everyone is under orders to keep them merry."

"I figured as much Lindsey is the same way. I just keep hoping that he would go back to the way before grandma died, back when Uncle gave me Cat," Alex replied.

"He gave you Cat cause the beast liked you and hated him," Kyle laughed. "Besides what do you need him for? You have Kruger?"

"Wait how do you know that?" Alex asked as Kyle walked over to his own zoid.

Kyle turned back to his baby sister. "I'm a better big brother than you give me credit."

"And what about this divide between what's left of the Panther siblings?" Alex shouted over the noise of two zoid engines.

"Next time we meet, Alex, it'll be in battle. One of us will have to die. And it's going to be me," Kyle yelled back. "Do you understand?"

"Wait…what?" Alex yelled back.

"If it's between me or you, I will be the one to die…" Kyle said as he climbed into the zoid. The enhanced Command Wolf shot forward. And somewhere in the back of her mind, Alex thought that he would be perfect in the Lightening Siax.

She tried to block out the voice that was begging to die.

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Later that night, after Alex and Cat had made camp, Alex wondered what she should say to Karl. She wondered if she should ask for his advice, advice that he could never communicate to her any ways.

"Hey Schubaltz it's your Black Angel again. A little tired and a little sad. Listen, if you come into contact with a man named Kyle Claws, when you lock him away keep tight surveillance on him. He is not to be confused with his twin Ryan Claws. Cat says hi."

Alex just hoped they'd find her one true brother before she had to. It was a shame such a good man wanted to die so badly.


	9. Schemes

So as always, I'm sorry for the huge spaces between up dates. This will get done, I promise.

Disclaimer: I'm just a poor college student who is very aware of the fact that she does not own zoids.

The Black Angel

Chapter 9

Schemes

Kyle got back to the Panther's main base, and patted his zoid fondly as Evelyn approached him.

"How's Uncle and his merry band of nobodies?" she asked as she linked arms with him.

"Much more merrier now then they were before," Kyle responded.

Evelyn smiled happily. "Make sure you take Ryan with you next time."

As the young woman left, Kyle's communication device went off. "Speak to me."

"So does Evelyn think we've been taken out?" Kyle's uncle asked.

"She fell for it, just act wasted in public," Kyle responded. "Also, I convinced Alex to move away from using you as an informant, so she'll stay in the dark about your plans."

"You sure we should keep her in the dark?" his uncle responded.

"As much as she loves us, she's made her alliance and she owes them her life. Alex doesn't need to be messed up in our take over," Kyle responded.

****

Thomas got Alex's message and sighed, the names Kyle and Ryan meant nothing to him. "Hey Irvine, who's Kyle and Ryan Claws?"

"Twins, two of Alex's brothers," Irvine responded.

"What do they do?" Thomas asked.

"Deceive people," Irvine responded "You can never know for sure which twin is who, or which side they are on."

Thomas groaned. "Great."

****

Alex jumped out of her Hel Cat and sent it and Cat away. It was her last stop of bars along the Red River. She was nervous about this stop, this person was unreliable and she was concerned about him selling her out. But he promised he had important information for her.

As she entered the bar, hood up covering her face, Alex scanned the area. It was relatively empty. Almost all of the wore the Panther crest. Thinking it wasn't worth it, Alex turned around to get away from the place.

Someone came up behind her and pulled the long cloak, and pulling Alex to the floor. Dana stood over her, looking deep into Alex's eyes. "Hello little sister."

"Hi Dana," Alex said with a cheeky smile.

"You're going to come home now," Dana said happily.

Alex shook her head. "You'll have to excuse me if I don't."

Getting to her feet, Alex went to rush Dana. From behind, Greg smashed a bottle on top of the younger Claws' head. Alex fell to the ground. Dana glared down at the unconscious form of Alex. "I'm in charge now little sister. When I say it's time to go home, it means you're coming home."

Dana motioned for Greg to pick up Alex's body and turned to walk out of the bar before she stopped and turned to the members of the Desert Panthers.

"Kill him," Dana said pointing to Alex's informant. Through out the room her loyal soldiers took out their guns and click the safeties off.

"Wait…wait," the man said quickly, "I gave you Alex when no one else would. I will be your loyal servant."

Dana laughed happily. "You gave her up with out a second thought. You would give me up just as quickly."

The brother and sister walked out of the bar and to the gustav that waited for them outside. Greg gently laid Alex down in the back and tried to use the safety restrains to keep her body in place. Dana tapped her foot impatiently.

"Where is her hel cat, and the organiod?" Greg asked.

"It'll follow us, Alex said as she started to up the engines. "Cat always follows Alex."

****

"She didn't contact me," Thomas said in a panicked voice. "Vanm Irvine, get ready to move out."

"What do you mean get ready to move out?" Van asked.

Thomas growled in frustration. "Alex didn't contact me last night. She said if she missed even one day, we needed to go find her."

"Are we supposed to search the entire continent?" Irvine scowled.

"No," Thomas responded. "She's been looking for contacts along the river. We follow her trail and look for her zoid and Cat."

"When were you going to tell us about this?" Kalr asked as he came up from behind his younger brother.

Thomas cringed at the sound of disappointment from his brother. "She was worried about being pulled from the mission, so she said to keep it quiet."

"But her life is in enough danger to be concerned about staying in contact," Karl said sadly. "Wait here, there is one more person we can ask where Alex might be."

Karl stormed to the prison ward of the base, with the Guardian Force on his heals. Chaz was laying on the bunk of hi cell, humming a little tune to himself. Karl came right up to the bars and whistled. "If your siblings had Alex, where would they go?"

"Depends, if it's Dana that has her, they'll be at the base along the mountain dived. If Evelyn and the twins have her, they'll take her to the base that straddles the Republican and Empire borderline," Chaz said plainly.

Karl growled. "That information is useless, give us coordinates."

Chaz smiled and shook his head.

"They have your little sister, they'll kill her. Don't you care about that?" Karl yelled.

"It seems like you care enough about her for the both of us," Chaz said

"Chill Colonel," Irvine said coolly, "I know which bases he's talking about. I'll get the coordinates put into our zoids. You and Thomas go to the mountains, and Van and I will take the border."

Van and Irvine turned and ran back towards the hanger. Thomas signaled to his brother they needed to follow, but Karl couldn't help but to sneer one more time.

"Hey Cat Eyes, the one that likes Alex so much," Chaz called to the older Schubaltz as he turned away. "I know you don't think that much about me, but if I ever loved one of my brothers or sisters, it'd be Alex. But I chose my life a long time a go, and I'm never going to be the man she needs me to be a good big brother. So you need to care for her for the both of us, cause I can't."

Karl was a little unnerved to hear the nick name that Alex had given him to come from Chaz's lips. "I'll try."

"And one more thing, if I catch wind of you hurting her, I will find you and do the one thing I know I'm good at. Just keep that in mind," Chaz said before turning back around so he faced the wall.

Karl and Thomas then took off down the hall, going as fast as their bodies would carry them. They got their zoids ready and took off; Thomas in hi Di Bison and Karl in a Saber Fang. Karls knuckles were going white in desperation, pushing the fang as fast as he had ever pushed it. A few hours later, a black Hel Cat could be seen, as if waiting for them to show up. Cat piloted the Hel Cat towards the base along the mountains, towards Alex.

Not far from the base, Cat stopped the zoid and jumped down. Karl and Thomas did the same. They followed the organoid into a small hanger with in the base.

"It's quiet, and small. Why is this base so quiet and small?" Thomas whispered to his brother.

Karl waved his brother quiet, but he was right. Most bandit bases they had stormed in the past had been full and bustling with the foot soldiers. This one was almost empty.

As the brothers followed Cat into the base deeper, they ran into a young woman with long blonde hair and a pretty face. Karl came up behind her, and placed the gun to her head. He wrapped his hand over her mouth and clicked the safety off. "Thomas, check her for weapons."

It took Thomas several minutes, but Karl was happy he had his brother check as there was a small pile of knives and guns that could have been pulled on them. "Now girlie, you're going to answer by nodding your head up and down for yes, or shake it for no. Is this a Dessert Panther's base?"

The woman nodded.

Karl gripped her mouth tighter. "Is Alexandria Claws being kept here?"

Another nodded yes.

Karl smiled in happiness of being so close. "Do you know where she is?"

A nod confirmed that Alex was coming home with the Schubaltz brothers.

"Lead the way," Karl said, keeping his hand tight over the woman's mouth.

****

Dana and Greg stood in front of their handy work that was now etched on Alex's back. The hot iron from the branding sizzled and still and the smell of burnt flesh was beginning to fill the room. On Alex's back was the Panther's mark of a traitor, a panther's paw print broken into jagged pieces.

"I can't believe she won't talk," Dana scoffed.

"I can't believe she isn't crying," Greg said sadly as he knelt down next to the wounded woman. "Are you okay little one?"

"You are so dense sometimes. She's obviously with one of the militaries, she's a traitor, you branded her yourself," Dana said as she used her knife to cut into Alex's arm. Blood began to show, out line the line as it joined other open wounds that Dana had been slicing into Alex.

Alex would not speak, going over the names in her head that she was protecting. "Jonathon Krueger, Rob Herman, Mark O'Connel, Van, Irvine, Moonbay, Thomas, Karl, the Schubaltz couple, and don't forget about Matt Ford, don't forget about your boy."

She didn't hear the door open or the shouting and fighting going around her. Suddenly a gun slid on the floor and hit Alex's foot. Her eyes widen at the sight of it. Adrenaline kicking in, Alex picked it up, jumped to her feet, and fired a shot into Dana's head, who held another gun up at Karl's.

"Don't touch them," Alex whispered hoarsely.

"Little One!" Greg said, as he moved towards his shaking sister. He stopped when he saw the gun pointed towards himself.

"Greg, let's go," the blonde, Bella, said. The two left quickly.

Karl walked up to Alex as soon as the pair was gone. She stood with only her bra to keep her top modest. The rest of her torso and her arms were covered with shallow cuts and bloods. Karl unbuttoned the top of his uniform and saw the brand on her back as he covered her with it. After she was covered, Alex collapsed into his arms, crying freely and openly. Cat gently nuzzled his leg, giving her silent comfort.

Karl picked her up as if she was made of glass, he and Thomas followed Cat out of the base once more. When they got outside, Karl brought Alex into the Saber Fang with him. Cat drove the Hel Cat and Thomas piloted his DiBison while contacting Van that they had found Alex and then the base that they were bringing an injured soldier in.

"I killed my sister," Alex whispered.

Karl looked down at her. "She was going to shoot at us, you did the right thing."

"You know she told me one time that because I was and imperfect women, I was the perfect soldier. I'm so out of touch with myself I couldn't even cry when they branded me?" Alex whispered.

"Imperfect, I would never use that word for you," Karl whispered. "You're more of a woman because you can shoot the gun. Ford in one lucky man."

"I don't even like Matt that much, It just makes Jonathon feel more comfortable since I'm dating a soldier and not a bandit. So I thought I'd give Ford a shot. See? I can't even fall for a decent guy," Alex sobbed.

"So break up with him," Karl said, are other men you can date, but I have never met a more perfect woman than you."

Alex let the words ring in her head as they got back to the base. Rob was among the people who helped her down from the Saber Fang. She didn't bother looking for Ford.


	10. The In Between

Author's Note: So updating two chapters in the same month, it's an absolute miracle. And it's not like I literally have no time to be writing this anyways, because it's not finals season or anything. So enjoy.

Disclaimer: Yeah, you know I don't own zoids, you know which characters are mine. Please don't bother me with lawyers; I don't have time for them right now.

The Black Angel

Chapter Ten

The In Between

Rob Herman left the hospital room to see Karl Schubaltz ready to walk in. He carried a bouquet of black lilies. He shifted on his feet, nervous about how Herman would react to him.

"You know, she has told me many times how insane Dana was, but I didn't get it until now," Herman said. "I can't imagine her as the Black Angel, she's the girl that Kruger rescued and adopted. She's the girl who is practically my sister."

Karl placed a hand on Herman's shoulder. "She's still that person, but she had a job she had to do. If the job got done, you, Krueger, and everyone she cared about are going to be just a little bit safer."

"Thanks," Herman said with a nod. "When you go in there, do me a favor, convince her to stay in the hospital for another night. The doctors are going to kill her if she leaves early again."

Herman walked away, his shoulders still drooping a little bit as Karl went into the room. Alex was up and out of bed, shoving her few personal belongings into a canvas bag.

"Leaving early?" Karl asked.

"I can't stay here," Alex grumbled. "They won't let me smoke, I really need a drink, and Matt won't talk about breaking up until I get out."

Karl grabbed Alex by shoulders and forced her to sit on the bed. "Relax, you're worrying Herman."

That comment lit the fire under Alex's feet because she was back up again forcing things into her bag. "He's worried about me, I'm not the one who was fighting a war! He would be out of communication for weeks at a time while fighting people like you!"

Tears started to run down Alex's face and Karl pulled her into a hug. She gripped his uniform and buried her face into his shoulder. Karl held the shaking woman, being mindful of her wounds.

They stayed like that for a while until Alex noticed the flowers. "Are these for your other girlfriend?"

"They're for you," Karl responded, handing her the lilies.

Alex sniffed the flowers gently. "What is with you're family and lilies? Your parents got them for me the last time I was in the hospital."

"The black lily is my family's flower, so we give them to people a lot," Karl stated as he pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"So this is why you wanted to break up with me," Ford said simply, with a bouquet in his hand. He left the room.

"This is why I need to leave," Alex grumbled. "Matt, wait up!"

Karl put the lilies in a vase and left the room. He ran into O'Connell almost immediately. "Go up to the roof and go make sure that Alex and Ford haven't killed each other."

O'Connell raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Do I want to know what is going on?"

"It's a long story and I'm too involved with it to tell you much about it," Karl Schubaltz said before walking away.

"So you're dumping this on me?" O'Connell yelled after the colonel. "No respect, I swear."

O'Connell did as he was asked. He climbed up on to the roof. There were quite a few of the off duty soldiers smoking and chatting. They had confined themselves to one corner of the roof, a way from the yelling. O'Connell turned to the men. "So what has been going on?"

"Something about her cheating on him with Schubaltz and something about him not understanding the term broken up," one of the soldiers replied in between puffs of smoke.

"Thanks," O'Connell replied. He had always understood that Alex was just kind of toying with Ford, but he never imagined she'd cheat on any man she was with.

"He saved my life, Matt, he was just helping me get over it!" Alex yelled at him. "I tried to break up with you three times before he came in to check on me. Both John and Rob were there for the last two times!"

"I told you we'd discuss this, once you were in the right mind set and could think clearly," Ford said calmly

"I'll show you the right mind set," Alex yelled ready to take a swing at Ford. O'Connell rushed up and caught so that she couldn't harm anyone. "For all I knew, that psycho of a woman could have killed me, and I couldn't even think about you!"

"Ford, get out of here," O'Connell said as he continued to restrain Alex.

"I'm trying to talk to my girl, now leave us alone!" Ford told O'Connell.

All at once Alex stopped struggling. "Let me go, I'm tired and I'm going to bed."

O'Connell releases his friend, and Alex walked past the other smokers on the roof and through the maze of the base. She found her room easily and dropped down on to the bed. She heard the sounds of Cat moving in the darkness, before she jumped up on to the bed with Alex. The two fell asleep quite easily.

****

O'Connell sagged down into a lazy boy, in the lounge where the Guardian Force was hanging out. "That was pleasant."

"Everything okay?" Van asked.

"Oh yeah," O'Connell said with a sigh, "just witnessed Alex try to break up with Ford for what was apparently the fourth time today."

"Didn't even realize they were dating in the first place," Irvine said calmly as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Quietly, for about the past few months," O'Connell respond.

"Besides the clingy boy, how is she doing?" Moonbay asked.

"Tired, kind of lost the fight in her," O'Connell responded. "I have never seen her throw in the towel like that. I mean one time some commanding officer told her not go in a certain direction because we had bombs planted there. However, one of her contacts were behind the bomb line and she needed to talk to them ASAP. Well she made it to the contact with setting off one of the bombs, but she wasn't so lucky on the way back. The commanding officer was trying to yell at her, and Alex was yelling back as the medic was trying to patch her up. The poor man was covered in blood."

The Guardian Force started laughing. Herman, Kruger, and Karl Schubaltz walked into the room. The higher-ranking men were happy to see the good nature among the group.

"What's so funny?" Herman asked.

"That one time that Alex set off Kruger's bomb and then he got covered in her blood when he tried to yell at her," O'Connell responded.

"I don't remember that as fondly," Kruger grumbled.

Karl sighed, "I don't want to know."

"No you don't," Kruger sighed. "Alex embodies everything you wouldn't want in a soldier. Independent, loud mouth, self-reliant…hates taking orders. She's a more controlled version of Raven."

"Sounds like a nightmare," Schubaltz replied.

"But on the other hand, she has every quality that makes up a good soldier," Herman responded. "She's strong, intelligent, loyal…"

"Why are the two of you glaring at me?" Schubaltz said, glancing between Kruger and Herman.

O'Connell started to snicker. "It's because you are the potential next boyfriend for their precious Alex."

"Talk about over protective," Thomas whispered.

"It's all about Cat," Moonbay replied. "No man gets near Alex without getting approval from Cat first."

Fiona smiled happily. "Alex and Colonel Schubaltz will make an adorable couple. They'd compliment each other nicely."

"Slow down, all of you!" Schubaltz snapped. "Alex is still stuck with Ford, unless she wants an entire base to think of her as easy or a cheater. Not to mention she was almost just killed by one of her family member for the second time this month. How about you let Alex work through those traumas before you decide who she may or may not be seeing."

The group stared at Schubaltz with wide eyes. Kruger started to laugh before standing up and walking over to Schubaltz with an outstretched hand. "You're right when you say Alex might want or need time, but when she's ready, I hope she chooses you. You're a good man, and you'd treat her right."

Schubaltz shook Kruger's with a smile and a nod, before getting up and leaving the room. He walked through the base with a slight smile on his face. When he came to the hall where his room was, Cat bounded over to him. The organoid gently nuzzled his hand, trying to get him to pet its head.

Alex was sitting by his door, her knees drawn close to her chest. She looked up at Schubaltz. "I can't sleep."

"Don't blame you," Schubaltz responded.

"I want to sleep, my body knows its tired," Alex said with a shrug of her shoulders, "I have fallen asleep three times by now, and I wake up like twenty minutes later. I tried to find some people to hang out with, and they all shunned me. Do you know what it feels like to have half the base hating you? I didn't even do anything!"

"You work with the scum of Zi, and you're concern what a few soldier think about you?" Schubaltz asked as he sat down next to Alex.

"Karl, do you know how anyone can walk the scum of Zi and be okay with it? It's because there is something to go back to that makes working with them worth it," Alex responded. "It was worth it because I came back to this!"

Schubaltz wrapped hi arm around her and drew her in close. "You have a group of people who will never judge you."

Soft breathing met his words; Alex had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

"Well, at least the hospital will get her back," Schubaltz whispered. He juggled picking her up and getting himself up but finally managed to do it. He was headed towards the hospital wing when Cat caught his pant leg in her mouth. She gently tugged and nodded toward Karl's room. "Kruger and Herman are going to kill me."

Schubaltz laid her down on his bed and wiggled out of his uniform shirt. Alex automatically curled herself around the clothing. He then set up a bed for himself on the ground. Cat gave him a quizzical look.

"You can go ahead and get up there, because I am not," Schubaltz responded.

Cat jumped up on to the bed and wiggled under the blankets. Karl could only guess that it was because she didn't want Alex to be cuddling up against the cold body of an organoid. Karl fell into a fitful and uncomfortable sleep.


	11. Time for Change

The disclaimer is the same. If you review, I will probably up date faster if you people review.

The Black Angel

Chapter 11

Time for Change

The Blood Lioness sat with the unusually emotional Darren. The man was working very hard to keep the worry and anger from his face. The anger being directed towards the few Dessert Panthers who were sitting in the bar. The worry came from the lack of knowledge of where Alex was. If any of the Panthers suspected Darren of siding with Alex, they could kill him, and thus the effort of trying to contain himself.

The Lioness had the luxury of her dark red, hood of the cape to keep her face concealed from the rest of the world.

"You two are easily readable," an older voice said as he came up to the pair. "At least you are, Darren."

Darren sneered at him. "Get out of here, you're marked."

"Don't be rude," the Lioness remarked to Darren. She turned to the much older man. "I've seen you with your men, and you're on Dana's list of people to keep under the influence of something. So you've got to be something special."

"He's Alex's uncle," Darren responded.

"So special indeed, the uncle that gave Alex her Cat?" the Lioness said casually. "What does he mean by marked?"

The older man turned around and pulled the back of his shirt up. There was a clear brand on his back. It was very simple, a panther's paw print broken into tiny pieces.

"Marked in deed," Lioness said as she gently touched the skin that for had so long been burned. "So we have a common enemy. But what do you need?"

"I need to get in contact with Alex, my nephew made sure that she would keep her distance from me, but she needs to know something," the man said simply.

"Alex doesn't need to see you," Darren snarled.

Lioness sharply jabbed her elbow into Darren's side. "While my friend is very rude, he is right. Alex bears that same mark now, if the rumors are true. Whoever her friends are, they're currently nursing her back to life. Not to mention they won't be letting her out of their sight for a while."

"They can come with, I'm not opposed to meeting my niece's friends," Alex's uncle said with a smile.

Lioness looked around the bar. The lone bandits were few among the Dessert Panthers who were starting a bar fight with some poor guy. "Not here, once I choose a place I'll let everyone know."

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Alex woke up with a smile on her face, and Cat's nose pressed to her own. "You are not who I expected waking up to."

The young women was clutching on to an Imperial jacket that was made up of Karl's scent. The entire bed was made up of Karl's scent. Alex turned to Cat. "Why'd you kick him out?"

"I kicked myself out," Karl said as he came out of his bathroom.

Alex sat up and looked Karl in the eye. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because you have a lot to figure out," Karl said as he sat down on the bed next to her. "And I'm not going to be another person you brag about to Herman and O'Connell."

"You really don't know me at all," Alex snapped before jumping up. Cat scrambled to follow Alex.

"Wait, wait, wait," Karl said grabbing her by her shoulders, "I just think we have some things to work out before we move forward."

"I needed comfort, not someone to lecture me," Alex said wrenching her shoulders from Karl's grip. "Next time I'll just go see Rob."

Alex pushed the door open and stormed down the hall. Cat jumped off of Karl's bed and turned to the man. The organoid looked at Karl before shaking its head and trotting to catch up with Alex who had already turned a corner down the hall.

"Great, now I get to deal with Herman," Schubaltz said.

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Herman and O'Connell flattened themselves against the wall as Alex and Cat charged through. Herman turned to the teal haired man. "She's so cute when she's angry."

"You always say that unless she is mad at you," O'Connell pointed out.

At that moment, Schubaltz tried to run through the hallway, Herman grabbed the man by the shoulders and stopped him in his place. "Do you want to explain why your Black Angel is so pissed right now?"

"Just a little misunderstanding," Schubaltz said simply.

"Well that little misunderstanding has got her very pissed off, and the last time she was that pissed, she went to her family," Herman replied. "I suggest you check the holding cell where they have Chaz."

Karl groaned, remembering the promise that Chaz made if the Imperial colonel was to ever hurt Alex. He walked slowly, thinking about what he would say. When he came up to the prison ward, Alex and Chaz were sitting next to each other, with the bars separating them.

"Dana's dead," Karl heard Alex say.

"So Bella is in charge now, long live the queen," Chaz responded.

"Not for long," Alex said, hugging her knees closer to her body, "something big is going to happen, I can feel it."

"Leave it behind," Chaz suggested. "You don't have to live this life. Find some guy settle down, get married, have a couple of kids, and be happy."

"I'm a Claws as much as I hate being one," Alex said with a laugh. "I have the family curse, I can't seem to find a good significant other."

"Calm yourself Little One, what about the Cat Eyes?" Chaz asked.

"Karl? No, I just blew it big time," Alex responded. "I looked needier then Evelyn and Bella combined."

"That's impossible," Chaz laughed.

"I don't know who Evelyn and Bella are," Karl said as he walked up to the siblings, "but you weren't desperate. You did need comfort. I was lecturing you."

Chaz whistled and applaud. "Cat Eyes, I truly applaud you. I never knew a man to give a woman his bed."

"You have some things to work out before we can really move forward, but when it does, it will be amazing," Karl said as he moved towards Alex. "Trust me?"

Chaz and Alex stared at Karl. Chaz gently nudged his little sister. "Little One, this is when you run up to your man and kiss him."

Alex got up on to her feet and moved towards Karl. "I'm insane. Both of my families will get in the way. I'll fly off the handle more often then not."

"I have trouble loosening up. My family can't keep its nose out of anything. I have been know to self destruct relationships," Karl responded.

Alex smiled. "I'm very good at that."

"You're perfect for each other," Chaz said, heading back to the bed in his cell, "now kiss already."

Karl grabbed Alex by her arms and kissed her. When he pulled away, Alex had a smile on her face. He smiled back. "Wow. I should have done that a long time ago."

"I know," Alex said.

Chaz groaned. "Get a room."

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Bella and Greg had evacuated the base as fast as they could. They were piloting their zoids as fast as they could. Bella was breathing heavily. "This is messed up. No one ever said that someone was going to come for her. Who would come for Alex?"

"I don't know," Greg said as the siblings entered another Panther's base. They stopped their zoids and jumped down. "Let's get to Evelyn and the twins."

"We're right here you two," Evelyn said as she, the twins, and several of their foot soldiers.

"Greg, we should go," Bella said simply.

"No, I'm the oldest so I'm in charge," Greg yelled. "You lot is going to start listening to me!"

"No," Evelyn said with a simple smile. She nodded to the twins. The three turned away as the gun shots rang out.


	12. The Next Part

The Black Angel

Chapter 12

The Next Part

Alex got out of the car cautiously. She had debated with herself for hours about what to wear, and what would be the safest to wear. A pair of casual pants, boots, and a comfortable shirt had been the conclusion. It was an outfit that was common among soldiers on leave. Alex was banking that anyone affiliated with the Desert Panthers would not look long enough to recognize her.

The night before, one of her contacts had said that they needed to meet soon, that the news was big. Alex was hesitant, but this man had never given her a reason to be nervous before. So Alex left a note taped to Thomas' door on why she left, and slipped out of the base.

In town, the contact had chosen a bookstore to be the meeting spot. Alex was thankful, as the shelves made natural walk ways, which cut off multiple ways in which she could be attacked.

"Thank god you're alive," her contact said as he took her in a big bear hug. He was an older man with a round belly.

Pain shot through her entire body as the contact pressed down on top of the bandaged brand. Alex pulled herself away to collect her breath.

"It's true then, they got to you," the contact said as he slid down the bookshelf.

Alex huffed. "I'm fine, just a little sore. Now what do you have for me?"

"Dana, Bella, and Greg are all dead," the contact said with a troubled face. "And your father has been pulling every resource to the main base. Something big is happening."

"I knew about Dana, I pulled that trigger. When did Bella and Greg happen?" Alex said with a slight lump in her throat.

The man looked at Alex, even more troubled. "You know it's okay to be sad about this. They've always been terrors to you, but the were still your sisters and your brother."

"I'll deal with it later," Alex responded, having not found away to get rid of the lump that was creeping up the back of her throat.

"From what I understand, what your father's spies could gather, was that Bella and Greg ran to the base on the borderline. Evelyn and the twins had them executed, on sight," the man said.

He stopped for a minute to let the information to sink in. She turned back to her informant. "How is my father taking it?"

"Not well," the man responded. "When he learned you were a traitor, that shook him way to much. That was when he started to call in all of the troops to his main base. He's been in shock ever since we learned about up heave of the youngest three. He's calling for Evelyn's head, and possibly the backs of the twins."

"He wants to brand them?" Alex tried to clarify.

"Either that, or just being whipped to learn their place," the man responded.

Alex shook her head. "What a choice. Thank you; let me know if there is anything else I should know about."

"No," the contact said simply.

"This isn't over yet," Alex reminded him.

"If you just disappear, your father would never bother you again. Don't come back to this world."

Alex rolled her eyes, clearly frustrated. "He's collapsing. He'll come after my friends. I can't let that happen."

"Just think about it," the informant begged.

"I'll think about it," Alex said with a shrug. And then looked at her watch. "My time is up. I need to get back before I get in any more trouble."

"You're not a prisoner are you?" her informant asked sadly.

"No, no, no," Alex said with a laughed. "But if I don't get back, my adoptive father might just ground me."

The look on the informant's face was priceless as Alex quickly moved through the bookstore and back to her car. The drive back to the base was uneventful. But concentrating on the horizon held back the tears. As soon as the car was parked in the hanger, the tears came.

"So Schubaltz has already broken your heart?" Ford said as he calmly strolled up to Alex. "Now don't expect me to take you back just because you're crying."

"Matt," Alex looked up at him.

"Yes my dear?" Ford said with a happy look on his face.

"Go to the hospital wing so they can surgically remove your foot from your mouth," Alex snapped. She existed the car, and walked away.

Thomas and Karl were boxing in one of the combat rooms. The frustration of having Alex missing again had left Karl anxious to punch something. His little brother was taking the blunt of that anxiety.

"I swear, all I got was the note," Thomas said, peeking through the crack between his arms, which were his only protection. "I would have stopped her if she had actually talked to me."

"Karl," Alex sniffled as she came in to the room, crying.

"What's wrong?" Karl asked as he quickly left the ring. He quickly took her into his arms.

"Bella and Greg are dead," Alex cried into his shoulder.

The brothers shared looks over Alex's head. Their first reaction was that of rejoicing, two less threats in Alex's life. Then it sunk in; more of Alex's family was dead. The connection that was shared between siblings was engrained in people, no matter what their alliances dictated. Karl wrapped his arms around more tightly the sobbing woman and wondered what the best thing to say was.

He knew better then to ask if Alex was okay, or tell her it was going to be all right. She wouldn't believe him and would be insulted by the comments. It was Thomas who figured it out.

"I know how you feel," Thomas said. "They bullied you, they pushed you into a place that you didn't think you could get pushed into. But they still made you who you are."

Alex managed a smile, as Thomas existed the fighting ring. He pulled Alex into a tight hug that stopped the rest of the tears.

"Now, we're supposed to make sure you go straight to your uncle," Karl said. He wrapped his arm around Alex's shoulder. Thomas linked one of his arms with one of Alex's. "I think he said something about being grounded."

"There was a good reason why I left," Alex promised.

Kruger looked up as the Schubaltz brothers brought in Alex. "Major Kruger, you are still recovering from the last lead."

"This one was safe, and my closest lead to my father," Alex responded.

"Oh that lead," Kruger said. He turned back to the monitor. "How is the old man?"

"Busy, my father is calling all troops home," Alex responded. The General looked up in concern. Alex shook her head. "It gets worse. The twins and Evelyn killed Bella and Greg. So since then, my father has called for the reaming three's heads."

"So that's good right? There's no one left to take over the Dessert Panthers once this current leader goes," Thomas replied hopefully.

"A ton of mercenaries suddenly going freelance, not my idea of fun," Kruger responded.

Alex shook her head. "Worse, the Desert Hawks are ready to step in to fill the void."

"How will that work for us?" Karl asked.

"Not good," Alex responded. "My father and the leader of the Desert Hawks were best friends growing up. The man does not have a single compassionate bone in his body, but my father looks like a saint compared to the Hawk's leader."

A silent shiver went through the group. Kruger shook his head and turned away. "This isn't going to be easy."

Alex and the Schubaltz brothers took that as their cue to leave. Once out of the briefing room, Alex turned in the direction of her room, then turned to face Karl once more. "Do you smoke?"

"On occasion," was the response.

"Would hanging up with me on the roof count as an occasion?" Alex said with a hopeful look.

Karl smiled. "It could."

"9pm then," Alex said as she turned back to her room. She had one goal in mind, her bed. The pain killers were making her sleepy, and the doctors would have been upset if they found that Alex had driven.

She got to her room, and cracked the door open to slip in. She stripped out of her boots and pants before crawling into bed. "Roll over Cat."

Karl and Thomas sat down with Herman and O'Connell in the kitchen. They were calmly chatting, but Karl sense the tension that both seemed to carry when Alex was gone from the base.

"Alex is back," Thomas told the Republican pair. Both visually relaxed at the good news.

"Was it worth her leaving?" O'Connell asked.

Karl shrugged. "More family disputes, and the Dessert Hawks are ready to step in when the Panthers collapse finally."

"So Darren is back in the picture," Herman said with a tired look on his face. "I thought we ran him out of the country."

"He always comes back," O'Connell responded. "Alex doesn't report his whereabouts half of the time."

"Any particular reason why?" Karl asked.

"The same reason that Alex goes to see Chaz, she has a very screwed up sense of what is love," Herman responded.


	13. About Love

The Black Angel

Chapter 13

About Love

Herman's words about Alex and her sense of love stayed with Karl Schubaltz through out the day as he went about his business. He didn't see Alex, and didn't expect to since she had leave for a while.

She was waiting for him on the roof at 9pm, as she promised. Her dark brown hair was being blown gently by the wind as she leaned against the railing. She wore a light pink top with jeans tucked into her boots. Karl smiled at how simple, but elegant she looked.

"Chaz's guards said you went to go see him," Karl said as he walked up to her.

Alex breathed a cloud of smoke out. "Someone had to let him know about Greg and Bella."

Karl nodded as he accepted a cigarette from Alex. He took out his lighter and lit the white stick. He breathed in deeply before releasing the smoke slowly. He hadn't smoked in a while, and the cigarette felt oddly calming to him.

Alex smiled and walked to a spot to sit at. Karl aloud himself to be led by the hand. The two sat down next to each other. They didn't wrap their arms around each other or hold hands. Instead they sat next to each, simply smoking.

"Has Thomas recovered from earlier today?" Alex asked simply.

Karl smiled. "I don't know what you are talking about."

The two laughed and relaxed. Alex felt Karl's body twinge as he settled down more against her. "What's wrong?"

"Herman, said something interesting," Karl mumbled.

Alex giggled as she breathed the smoke in. "Rob has lots of interesting things to say about me and other subjects."

"He said something about your sense of love," Karl said, bringing the cigarette to his lips. "It was something about how you have none."

"I don't, Alex admitted.

Karl looked a little shocked and turned to face Alex. "That went a little easier then I thought."

"Same," Alex giggled. "I've tried to have this conversation so many times that it isn't even funny."

Karl swore under his breath as the end of the cigarette burned his fingertips. Alex took his hand and examined the small wound. She kissed where the cigarette had burned him.

The two looked up at each and laughed. "This feels normal," Karl said with a smile.

"You've never had this either?" Alex asked. She watched as he shook his head. Alex reached towards him and pulled him into a deep kiss. Karl wrapped his arm around her shoulder to draw her in closer. The moment was ruined as a noise erupted from the mobile device in Alex's pocket.

"This better be good," Alex snapped into the device.

A smooth voice that Karl did not recognized responded. "Trust me, it is. Guess who is the newest person in your family to betray the Panthers?"

"I don't have times to play games, Lioness," Alex responded.

Karl looked shocked. "Lioness? As in the Blood Lioness?"

"None of us do," the women called Lioness laughed. "You're old lovey and I are at Timeless."

"You know where I am?" Alex questioned.

Lioness laughed. "I make it a point to know where you are."

"I'll be there in about twenty minutes, half an hour," Alex said as she combed out her hair with her fingers.

"See you soon darling," the Lioness replied.

"You're not going," Karl declared. "Let's set aside the fact she is the Blood Lioness, you're still healing. And the scars that Dana left go a little farther then skin deep."

Alex shook her head. "You don't know the Lioness like I do. She wouldn't call for nothing. And I guarentee they know about my run in with Dana."

"They?" Karl questioned. "You're old lovey?"

"My ex-fiance," Alex answered. "He's apparently been hanging out with Lioness and so will be there."

"You were engaged?" Karl asked.

"Our parents arranged it when we were about three or four. The goal was to get me out of the country," Alex explained.

Karl shook his head. "No wonder you have such a screwed up sense about love."

"Come with if you are so concerned," Alex suggested.

"You're going no where near the Blood Lioness or your ex-fiance," Karl responded.

Alex stood up and took out another cigarette and lit it. "You remember how you told me that I was the perfect woman because I was a soldier? This is part of my job, you nor anyone else can't keep me in a little bubble to keep me safe. I'm the one who walks among the scum of Zi."

"Fine, I'll come," Karl sighed as he lit a new cigarette for himself.

BlackAngel

Karl waited next to a car in the hanger. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans with a black button down top. He had placed a gun in waist band of his jeans. This had been on the orders of Alex.

Alex herself was in a short black dress with a deep v-neck and a pair of black heels.

The blond colonel swallowed and thanked the moons of Zi that the usually busy hanger was desserted. "Where did you hide a gun in that?"

The young woman smirked and held up her silver clutch.

"Don't worry Cat Eyes," Alex said with a smirk, "I'll wear this dress again for you. If you behave."

Alex got into the driver's seat and started the engine. Karl took a minute to collect himself, putting this mission as the second hardest mission he had ever gone on. Right under the time he had fought the death saurer.

The car ride was slightly uncomfortable for Karl. He quickly forgot about Alex's dress as she sped out of the base. She seemed to take every turn and short cut she could. Karl was confident she was doing it to keep him from tracking exactly where they were going.

As they pulled into the club, Karl could see why Alex had them dress the way they did. The pair blended into the crowd, and no one gave them more than a small glance as Alex led them towards the back.

A blond woman in a red dress sat at a table with a young man completely dressed in black. The blond smiled, "He's pretty."

"Hands to yourself, Lioness," Alex told the woman.

"Alex!" the man said, getting up to embrace her. Alex place a hand on his chest and pushed him away. "So what has changed over the past few days?"

"Now what news do you have for me?" Alex asked bluntly.

"Have you heard that Greg and Bella are dead?" Darren asked.

"Earlier this morning," Alex responded. "That's not worth calling me here."

"Should I congratulate Evelyn on being queen then?" Darren snapped back, He raised his class of hard liquor. "Long live the queen!"

"The solos are starting to get nervous. Evelyn is not someone we want in charge of the Panthers," Lioness said to Alex and Karl,

"Then let me shoot her, then I can be king," Darren said as he raised his glass again. "Long live the king!"

"You and the Hawks taking over is even less of what we want," Alex grumbled.

Lioness shook her head. "There's a reason why we called you down here. Your uncle is here, with Kyle."

"Do you realize what happened the last time she ran into a family member?" Karl questioned.

"My uncle isn't a Panther," Alex explained.

Lioness chuckled. "They wear the same pretty brand."

"Like that matters," Karl grumbled. Alex reached out and placed a hand on his arm. He reached up and took her hand and squeezed it in comfort.

"I suggest you stop drooling," Darren scoffed. "She's mine; she always come back to me."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Why does my uncle want to see me?"

"Won't say. I'll let him know to come over," the Lioness said as she and Darren stood up to leave. "Have fun."

Karl whistled. "Blood Lioness, I know your face now. I suggest you behave for awhile."

"And I know your face Colonel. Next time I suggest wearing contacts or something to hide those pretty green eyes," the Lioness said.

He turned to Alex, as she chuckled. "You handled that beautifully."

"Don't drag her into this," Kyle said as he and his uncle walked over to the table,

"Stop you're worrying," their uncle said. "Alex we could use some help."

"Leave her alone!" Kyle cried.

"You two are so cute, bickering like little old women," Alex laughed. "Now what are you talking about?"

"We're taking control of the Panthers," her uncle said proudly.

Alex shook her head. "You two are insane. One of you is a marked man and the other one is second to youngest out of nine."

"I'm a twin!" Kyle muttered.

"Oh please, everyone knows you are the younger of the two," Alex joked.

"Despite that argument, think about the alternatives," the uncle pointed out. "It's either goes to Evelyn or the Hawks take it over."

"But you two have no legitimacy, you'll lose the power as soon as you get it," Karl pointed out.

Kyle scoffed. "Thank you Cat Eyes. We hadn't thought of that."

"What about Chaz?" Alex asked.


	14. Breakout

Author's Note: Summer is a wonderful thing and allows me to up date a little more regularly.

**The Black Angel**

**Chapter 14**

**Breakout**

Alex looked at herself in the mirror. Her brown hair was carefully pinned up. She wore a black halter-top that showed off the recent brand marking, as well as a tattoo of a black cat. Her dark washed jeans were tucked into her boots. Alexandria Claws looked like a member of the Dessert Panthers.

"Cat, lets go," Alex ordered as she pulled on a jean jacket.

Karl and Alex had spent the entire car ride arguing about the situation. According to him, there had to be a different, better way than asking Chaz to take over the Panthers. While she did not doubt that there were other options, Alex was concerned with timing. By the time the military had come to a decision, the problem could worsen.

Alex and Cat walked into a quiet computer room. There was only one man on post, and a well place punch sent him into unconsciousness. Alex logged onto the computer as Van, considering his password was the most obvious of the groups. From the computer, Alex was able to order a nearby sleeper zoid to attack the base.

She had carefully planned the tactic years in advance, incase she ever needed to flee from a base quickly. However, she knew Jon Kruger would never fall for it again.

As the base mobilized around her, against the attacking zoid, Alex was able to slip through the base generally unnoticed. At some point, she stripped out of her jacket, throwing it into a waste can. She made sure a surveillance camera got a clear view of the brand and tattoo, but not of her face.

Chaz sat awake in his cell, carefully watching the guard's face. He watched as it contorted with pain before he slumped gently to the ground.

"Little one, I'm impressed," Chaz said as he watched his sister ease the solider to the ground.

"Coming from you, that's a compliment," Alex said as she and Cat approached the cell. "I have a proposition for you. I'll get you out of here if you take control of the Panthers."

"What's the catch?" Chaz asked, sizing his little sister up.

Alex smiled. "You are going to have to obey Uncle and me. If you play the game, you are playing it our way."

"Sounds like fun," Chaz said with a shrug.

The young woman quickly produced the prison keys, curtsey of Ford, and let her brother out of the cell. Chaz lunged for Alex, pulling her into a bear hug. The young woman had barely avoided a heart attack with the gesture. The last time Chaz had lunged at her, it had been with a knife.

Cat led the pair towards the hanger. Anyone who was up was dealing with the attacking zoid. It left the hanger bare, and the choice of zoids minimal.

"I want that one," Chaz said, walking over to the newest edition of the lighting siax that the base had. Alex sighed, her original plan had included command wolves, but she didn't have time to argue. Plus the siaxes would get them away from the base faster.

Cat quietly merged with Alex's zoid, and the brother and sister quietly slipped out of the base. They would hopefully have a few hours before someone, mainly Kruger, figured out they were gone.

**BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-**

Karl and Herman stood next to Kruger as he glared down at the remains of a sleeper zoid, which had called the three men from their respective beds. The men who had been stationed avoided the eye contact of their superiors, embarrassed by how long it had took them to take down the unmanned zoid.

"I thought all the sleeper zoids have been rounded up and deprogrammed?" Karl asked simply.

"Most of them have been," Herman responded. "Unfortunately we haven't accounted for every single one."

"Sir," a soldier said as he approached the group. "It seems like the zoid was being controlled from within the base. The computer was logged in as Lt. Flyheight."

"Does he have an alibi?" Kruger asked, out of habit and not from thinking the young warrior would do such a thing.

"Yes," the soldier said uncomfortably. "Fiona claims they were both in his room the entire night."

Herman snickered and Karl rolled his eyes.

"Chaz Claws is also missing," the soldier said quickly. All three men turned and stared at him.

"Go on," Kruger urged.

"The only person who has reported missing keys to the cells is Major Ford. However, he wasn't even in the base tonight. Some of the men took him out drinking because of…" the soldier glanced at Karl and decided to stop explaining why Ford needed a drink or two.

"Anything else?" Kruger asked, confident he knew who had caused all the commotion.

"We caught Alexandria Claws on camera. We didn't get her face, but we saw her tattoo and her organoid," the soldier said with confidence.

"Good work," Kruger congratulated. "You are dismissed."

The older man waited for the soldier to be out of earshot before he began to speak. "Who, in this base, is smart enough to know that we would never think Van would attack our base. Upset enough to set up Ford. Has dual personalities and clever enough to hide both?"

"Alex has out done herself," Herman said as he ruffled his hair.

Kruger nodded. "But why?"

Karl swallowed and turned to the two men. "We were going to tell you in the morning…."

**BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-BlackAngel-**

Chaz and Alex made it their destination, a small hide out that belonged to their Uncle. There, they set up cloaking devices and made sure that the siaxes wouldn't be found. Cat detangled herself from the zoid and rubbed against Alex.

"I get to keep it, right?" Chaz asked, with a smile on his face.

Alex shrugged. "I'm not going to be in a position to take it away from you."

Chaz's smile grew as the trio walked into the hideout. There was only a small group inside, huddled around Kyle as he explained the idea. The Lioness was there, in her normal get up, but hood pulled down. Alex approached the other woman.

"How'd you get him out?" the Lioness asked.

"It really wasn't that hard," Alex replied. "Where's Darren?"

The Lioness shrugged, her blonde hair falling into her face. "I don't know if he is mad about your new boyfriend or that his plans on taking over the Panthers is ruined, either way he wants nothing to do with us."

"I don't think he'll be able to be mad about Karl," Alex sighed. "He's not going to be happy when they find out what I did. I had promised I would wait till morning."

"But this way he can say he wasn't involved," the Lioness pointed out, as she wrapped an arm around Alex's shoulder for a slight hug.

Cat growled and the blonde woman releases Alex.

"Can we trust him?" one of the men asked Kyle as he finished summarizing the plan.

"I don't know," Kyle answered truthfully. "You have some comforting words for us Chaz?"

Chaz looked up from the corner he was tucked away in. Despite being one of the oldest children, he had never aspired on getting to the top the way his brothers and sisters had. He thought long and hard about what to say, not used to talking at meetings. "From what I understand is that you need me to give credit to this take over, and most of you are upset with the recent political play that has been going on in the organization."

Most of the men within the room nodded in agreement. Chaz turned to his sister who gave him thumbs up.

"I'll lead the Panthers," Chaz said. "Then I want to go away and never come back to the Republic or the Empire. Kyle can be leader then."

The men were dumbfounded by the answer. Alex and the Lioness cheered from their seats, laughing all the while.

"I don't think it will be that easy Chaz," Kyle sighed.

Chaz shrugged. "You're the smart one, make it work."

"We move out at dawn," Kyle said, with a shake of his head.

Alex sighed and headed outside, with Cat at her heels. She pulled out her pack of cigarettes and the lighter she had stealthily stolen from Karl. In between the arguing they had done last night, they had burned through about half a pack of cigarettes. She had managed to pocket the lighter during that time.

"Those aren't good for you," the Lioness commented as she and Chaz followed Alex outside.

"Don't care," Alex said in a muffled voice as she lit the white stick.

The Lioness shook her head, long blonde hair gently swaying. "Where did you pick up that habit? It's gross."

"Gimmie one," Chaz begged. Alex took out a cigarette for her brother and handed it and the lighter to him. Chaz lit the stick and sucked in the air quickly, before releasing the smoke. "I missed these in prison."

"Good, one of you have smokes," Kyle said as he joined the trio. Alex passed him a cigarette and Chaz passed him a lighter.

"Does your entire family smoke?" the Lioness asked, groaning more than speaking.

"Everyone except our father," Alex responded.

"Of course, the most feared bandit on the continent would be the only member of your family who doesn't smoke," the Lioness said, with a roll of her eyes. "Who would have ever guessed that?"

"He got lung cancer," Chaz explained. "Come to think of it, that's when this whole mess began."

The Lioness stared at the brothers and sister dumbfounded. She shook her head and pulled her hood up, as the group noticed a set of zoids coming their way. Alex laughed, as she looked down at her watch. "They're late."

"How'd they find us?" Kyle asked, concerned as the three zoids came closer.

"My guess is the tracking devices on the zoids that Chaz and I stole," Alex responded.

"But you said I could keep it," Chaz said with puppy dog eyes. "I like my new zoid."

Alex took in a breath of cigarette and released the smoke before responding. "I said I wouldn't be in a position to take it from you, they will be."

The group watched as the Guardian Force arrived, and jumped down from their zoids.

"Hey it's Irvine!" Kyle said, reaching his hand out to shake Irvine's.

The Lioness, through the shadows of her hood, looked Thomas up and down before turning to Alex. "If you get a green eyed boy, I want this one."

Alex carefully watched as her two worlds met, before taking in another drag of smoke.


End file.
